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The nematode/copepod ratio and its use in pollution ecology
Journal article   Peer reviewed

The nematode/copepod ratio and its use in pollution ecology

R.M. Warwick
Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol.12(10), pp.329-333
1981
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Abstract

The nematode/copepod ratio is critically examined with a view to adding some precision to its proposed use in pollution ecology. At two unpolluted intertidal sites, differing markedly in sediment grade, the metabolic requirements of copepods are shown to be equivalent to the requirements of that fraction of the nematode population which feeds in the same way. The partitioning of this total energy requirement among individuals depends on the distribution of individual metabolic body sizes and the relative rates of metabolism. The distribution of body sizes is constrained by the sediment granulometry, which affects nematodes and copepods differently. These considerations enable precise predictions of the nematode/copepod ratios expected in unpolluted situations, against which observed ratios can be compared.

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#14 Life Below Water

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Citation topics
3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
3.2 Marine Biology
3.2.605 Benthic Biodiversity
Web Of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Marine & Freshwater Biology
ESI research areas
Environment/Ecology
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